Incident Overview
An aircraft operating under an IFR flight plan was climbing out in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) when the engine failed. The crew attempted a restart; the engine ran for less than a minute before quitting again, and subsequent restart attempts were unsuccessful. At the time of the failure, the aircraft was over Lake Michigan and did not have sufficient altitude to reach the shoreline.
Emergency Landing
The crew executed a forced landing onto the water, successfully ditching the aircraft. All occupants were subsequently picked up by the United States Coast Guard and were reported to be unharmed.
Engine Examination
Post-incident examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft had fractured. The fracture was attributed to fatigue, leading to a complete loss of engine power.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause of the accident was a total loss of engine power due to mechanical failure/malfunction. Specific findings indicated fatigue of the crankshaft, resulting in its total failure.